12 Pieces of Trivia Small Enough to Swallow Without Chewing
Learning more about the world around you: Sometimes, it can still be completely useless!
One of the Driest Places on Earth Is in Antarctica
Antarctica equals snow in my brain, at least up until this very moment. But the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, one of the driest places on Earth, are eerily absent of snow and ice. Two hundred mile-per-hour winds make sure they stay that way.
Octopuses Can Fit Through Any Hole Larger Than Their Beak
If octopuses gross you out, well, that’s not about to change. The octopus can squeeze itself through any hole that's larger than its beak, the only hard part of its body (get your mind out of the gutter).
There's A Country Entirely Surrounded By South Africa
It feels like a brain teaser: “Name a completely landlocked country that only borders one other country.” The country of Lesotho fits these strange parameters, existing entirely within, but not as part of, South Africa.
The Ship-Boarding Device With A Bird’ s Name
If Romans engaged in naval warfare wanted to board an opposing ship, their tool of choice was the corvus. If you’re a bird fan, you’ll know that corvus is Latin for crow, and it wasn’t coincidence. The bridge had a beak-like protrusion at the end that securely anchored it to the enemy ship, which gave it the name.
The Official Floral Symbol of the Japanese Emperor
The chrysanthemum, a joy to look at and a horror to spell, is the emblem of the Japanese imperial family. You can see one on every Japanese passport.
Bo Jackson Often Referred to Himself in the Third Person Because of A Stutter
It’s hard to be one of the greatest athletes of all time and avoid the spotlight. Unfortunately, this was a nightmare for Bo Jackson, who grew up with a severe stutter, which meant he hated any sort of public speaking. Because saying “I” would frequently trigger his stuttering, a linguistic therapist suggested that he, instead, refer to himself as “Bo.”
Napalm Was Developed at Harvard University
The same campus that filled half the writers’ rooms in Hollywood with baby-faced Lampoon editors also filled plenty of villages with fiery death.
‘Pac-Man’ Is the Highest Grossing Arcade Game of All Time
Obviously, Pac-Man is one of the biggest arcade games of all time. But if you ever wondered exactly how many quarters the yellow semi-circle ate, here’s your answer: an estimated $3.5 billion (or 14 billion quarters) as of 1990, unadjusted for inflation. That makes it the highest grossing arcade game of all time, and just to flex further: the fourth highest grossing game? Ms. Pac-Man.
What A Blue Moon Actually Is
Probably most famous for the phrase connected to infrequent events, you might have wondered what exactly a blue moon is. First, and most confusingly, it has nothing to do with color. A “blue moon” occurs because of a misalignment between the lunar cycle and our calendar, which leads to a year having 13 full moons every 2.5 years or so. This is a “blue moon.” If you want to see one, you don’t have long to wait, either: There’s one in August of this year.
That’s DOCTOR Shaquille O’ Neal
Shaquille O’Neal holds a doctorate degree in education, making him, at least officially, a doctor. He does not hold a doctorate in geography or astronomy.
A Lounging Group of Otters Is Called A Raft
A group of otters resting together is called a raft. Now that’s just nice.
Cats Can’t Taste Sweetness
Now there’s two reasons not to feed your cat candy: First, because, please don’t. Second, because they can’t taste it anyways. Cats, studies have found, are incapable of tasting sweetness.
